Transitional Care Unit
The Transitional Care Unit (TCU) has been a very valuable service to the community and the acute patient who may not be ready to return to their home. With the full range of Joint Township Hospital's services available to its patients, the TCU emphasizes an aggressive rehabilitation and medical program which has been very beneficial to many patients such as those recovering from hip replacement surgery.
The "Hospital-Based" Difference
Located on the 6th floor of Joint Township Hospital, the Transitional Care Unit (TCU) provides a transition from the acute hospital bed to the resident’s home.
The entire array of services at Joint Township Hospital are available to the patient, including physical, occupational and speech therapy as well as x-ray and emergency services.
As one of our residents pointed out, "It is so convenient here. You don’t have to leave the building to be transferred from Joint Township Hospital to TCU. Physical therapy and other services are right on the premises."
Another added benefit of this continuity of care is access to the same physicians who treated the resident during their hospital stay.
Although the residents will continue to need the services of a physician, chances are that they will not see the physician quite as often as they did because their level of care is a step below the acute care setting. However, the nurse on TCU will keep the physician up to date on the resident’s present condition.
Admission To The Transitional Care Unit
The resident’s physician must initiate the transfer. Even though the resident will remain in the facility, regulations require residents discharge from Joint Township Hospital prior to admission to the Transitional Care Unit.
Medicare and insurance regulations require that the resident meet specific skilled criteria to qualify for admission to TCU.
What Is Skilled Care?
The Transitional Care Unit of Joint Township Hospital is Medicare certified and state licensed for skilled nursing care. The TCU follows Medicare guidelines for possible admission. They must have been a patient in the hospital for three days and require the care of a licensed professional (such as a R.N.). The resident normally requires skilled services such as intravenous therapy (IV’s), sterile dressing changes, skilled observation, or rehabilitative services from licensed physical, occupational or speech therapists.
Joint Township Hospital Transitional Care Unit does not discriminate against persons on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, handicaps or age.
Resident Centered Care
The Transitional Care Unit focuses on a resident centered system of care with involvement from the resident and family. A multi-disciplinary staff provides a team approach to care and includes physician, nursing, physical therapy, pharmacy, social services, and recreational therapy.
The multidisciplinary staff develops a plan of care to restore the resident to the best possible state of health and meets weekly to evaluate the resident’s progress. Family members are encouraged to join in planning the resident’s care. The staff also acts as teachers, instructing the resident in self-help techniques and the family in care of their loved one as he or she prepares to return home.
The TCU nursing staff has been specially trained in gerontological (care of the elderly) nursing and has had extensive experience in IV therapy, orthopedics and other rehabilitative care therapies. Residents are supervised by registered nurses 24 hours per day, seven days per week.
The Transitional Care Unit emphasizes the transition to home with 24-hour visitation for families and encourages residents to wear their own street clothes. Meals (including therapeutic) are available in the resident’s room or the TCU’s dining room.
The length of stay is based on the resident’s overall recovery and the attending physician’s judgement. Medicare and other insurance payors have regulatory requirements which must also be considered. The Transitional Care Unit is a "short-term care" facility.
The majority of the residents will return home; others may require transfer to a long-term care facility.
In summary, it is the TCU objectives for each resident:
- to prevent and minimize disabilities of illness,
- to promote, maintain and restore health,
- to maximize functional ability in areas of daily living.
The establishment of our Transitional Care Unit continues to be an extension of Joint Township Hospital‘s philosophy "Quality care … close to home." We welcome the opportunity to serve you.
Services For Hearing Impaired And Communication Impaired Patients
The Ultratec TDD Telecommunications Device for the Deaf is available for use by deaf patients at Joint Township Hospital.